The Effects of Comprehensive Exercise Program on the Adjustments of Standing Balance in Community-Dwelling Elderly Persons

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of comprehensive exercise program widely accepted as a community-based physical intervention for the prevention of falling in the elderly persons on their controlling standing balance. Twenty-six community-dwelling elderly persons (13 males and females; 69.8 ± 2.8 years old) participated in this study. Daily exercise was comprised of walking for more than 30 min, stretching, muscle strengthening and balance exercise without exercise equipments. The intervention was continued for three months. Indicators of standing balance related to static balance, dynamic balance and postural response were measured before and after the intervention. As an effect of the intervention on static balance, the sway of center of pressure (COP) in the static stance significantly increased. In the dynamic balance, significant improvements were observed in one leg standing time, the 10-m gait time, functional reach. Additionally, the maximal movable length of COP which subjects can move voluntarily to right and left significantly increased. In the postural response, the integrated electromyography (IEMG) induced by postural response for sudden postural perturbation significantly decreased in the lower leg muscles. Since less muscular activities were sufficient to maintain posture, it was suggested that postural response was elicited more efficiently following the intervention. This study suggested that the comprehensive exercise program, which has been widely introduced as community-based interventions for the prevention of falling, have extensive effects on the control of standing balance covering static balance, dynamic balance and postural response in the elderly persons.     

Noncritically phase-matched frequency conversion in Gd(x)Y(1-x)Ca(4)O(BO(3))(3) crystal

A nonlinear optical crystal YCa(4)O(BO(3))(3) (YCOB) is phase matchable for third-harmonic generation (THG) of a Nd:YAG laser by type I mixing between 1.064 and 0.532mum . By partial substitution of Gd for Y in YCOB, a solid solution Gd(x)Y(1-x)Ca(4)O(BO(3))(3) gradually changes the phase-matching angles of THG to (theta, ?)=(90( degrees ), 90 ( degrees )) . We present the properties of noncritically phase-matched THG in Gd(x) Y(1-x)Ca(4)O(BO(3))(3) (x=0.28) .     

Quantum oscillation of carrier concentration due to fermi level pinning by doped indium impurities in Pb1−XSnXTe

The Shubnikov-de Haas like oscillation and rapid increase of the carrier concentration above the quantum limit magnetic field (H₀) are observed in Pb_1?xSn_xTe doped with indium (x=0.33 and 0.35). Experimental results can be reproduced satisfactorily by the calculation based on the Fermi level pinning model due to In-impurities, where we take into account the level broadening (Г) effect of the band structure. It is confirmed that the increasing rate of carrier concentration with respect to magnetic field above H₀ decreases with larger Г.     

Supplementary Observations on the Chemistry of the Alkaloids of Berberine Series and Related Compounds. III. Fluorescence Spectra of the Alkaloids of Berberine Series and Their Related Compounds

The absorption maxima of the fluorescence spectra of the berberine series alkaloids are broadly distributed between 360 and 560 mμ. The fluorescence spectra of most substances of this series are very monotonous one having a single peak, the spectra of tetrahydrocoptisine and tetrahydroepiberberine are quite exceptional and consist of two wavy bands. The introduction of the auxochrome group into the molecule of “proto” compounds causes the decreasing of the fluorescence intensity and this effect is strongest in case of transition from protoberberine to berberine. That, tetrahydropalmatine does not show the distinct fluorescence spectrum band is the only incomprehensible fact.     

Possible one-dimensional 3He quantum fluid formed in nanopores

Heat capacity measurements have been made down to 5 mK for 3He fluid films adsorbed in one-dimensional (1D) nanometer-scale pores, 28 A in diameter, preplated with 4He of 1.47 atomic layers. At low 3He density, the heat capacity shows a density-dependent, Schottky-like peak near 150 mK asymptoting to the value corresponding to a 2D Boltzmann gas at high temperatures. The peak behavior is attributed to the crossover from a 2D gas to a 1D state at low temperatures. The degenerate state of the 1D 3He fluid is indicated by a predominantly linear temperature dependence below about 30 mK.     

Skeletal reorganization of enynes into 1-vinylcycloalkenes in ionic liquids

The skeletal reorganization of enynes catalyzed by transition metal chlorides, such as PtCl(2), [RuCl(2)(CO)(3)](2), [RhCl(CO)(2)](2), and AuCl(3), in ionic liquids proceeds under milder conditions (at lower reaction temperatures and for shorter reaction times) than those needed for ordinary solvents. The products produced by the skeletal reorganization of enynes were easily removed from the catalyst by a simple extraction with Et(2)O or distillation. The PtCl(2) can be reused up to five times.     

Age-dependent plasticity in the superior temporal sulcus in deaf humans: a functional MRI study

Background  

Sign-language comprehension activates the auditory cortex in deaf subjects. It is not known whether this functional plasticity in the temporal cortex is age dependent. We conducted functional magnetic-resonance imaging in six deaf signers who lost their hearing before the age of 2 years, five deaf signers who were >5 years of age at the time of hearing loss and six signers with normal hearing. The task was sentence comprehension in Japanese sign language.     

A direct electrochemical route to construct a polymer/manganese oxide layered structure

A layered nanocomposite with poly(diallyldimethylammonium), PDDA, intercalated between manganese oxide layers can be formed on a platinum electrode in a thin film form through a direct electrochemical route. The process involves a potentiostatic oxidation of aqueous Mn(2+) precursors in the presence of PDDA by applying a constant potential (+1.0 V vs Ag/AgCl).     

Two-dimensional diffraction study of ice crystallisation in polymer gels

Ice crystallisation in crosslinked dextran (Sephadex) gels was studied by the method of two-dimensional X-ray diffraction (XRD) in combination with the simultaneous measurement of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). With a Sephadex G25 gel where an exotherm due to ice crystallisation is observed in the DSC rewarming trace, it was indicated by the XRD pattern that small ice crystals less than approximately 10 microns in diameter are readily formed during freezing, and that the endothermic trend prior to the exotherm is not due to the glass transition but due to the melting of the small ice crystals. Moreover, the diffraction pattern observed with frozen Sephadex gels depended on the density of crosslink indicating that ice crystals of different size and dimension are formed in the gels.